It’s not uncommon to hear people talk about “math anxiety” or say they are “bad at math.” The national push for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning is indicative of a desire to better prepare students for tomorrow’s jobs and increase math competence. But why have we...
ARCHES Academy gets kids. We know that kids are brilliant, curious, and energetic. We know that they are at their best when they are engaged and have ownership over their learning. And we know that like adults, they are active learners who learn by exploring, touching, doing, and...
When we say we put kids in charge of their own learning, we mean it: ARCHES Academy’s transformative approach to learning puts our K-8 kids in the driver's seat, supporting them to lead with the end in mind. When it comes to goal setting, reflecting on growth, and sharing progress with...
Every great invention, accomplishment, or idea begins with a first step. And often that first step leads not to success, but to failure.
Olympians do not win medals on their first try.
The Wright Brothers did not fly on their first attempt.
And Thomas Edison did not invent...
ARCHES Academy is committed to inspiring scholars to be the leaders of tomorrow by honoring the gifts within each and every child. Alongside our individualized academics, we provide a strong character and leadership development program that emphasizes universal values and truly heroic...
It’s been a wonderful start to our school year at ARCHES! There is joy on the playground and in classrooms as students and teachers greet each other. We are thankful to be together, learning in person this year.
Now and always, we promise that your child’s safety is our number one...
You’ve probably noticed by now that we do things differently at ARCHES Academy—and we’re proud of our unique approach that honors the whole child and gets results. Our small, intentionally designed tuition-free school is organized to bring out the best in each child.
The beauty of a...
There is no greater joy for teachers and staff at ARCHES Academy than seeing our students grow and achieve their goals. Students at ARCHES Academy work hard every day, and because our transformative model encourages students to take responsibility for their learning, our students know just...
You may be thinking that because we opened our doors for the first day of school in July that it’s too late to enroll your child at ARCHES Academy, but we want to assure you that now is still a great time to become a part of our school community. You may still be researching schools, new to...
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We are thrilled to open our doors to students for the 2021-2022 school year at ARCHES Academy! A new school year always comes with new growth. So, along with a little bit of rest and rejuvenation, our staff has been working hard this summer to better serve our students and families in this...
At ARCHES Academy, we believe in the American ideals our Founding Fathers sacrificed and fought for, including the notion that the only way to stay free is to educate our citizenry. And we believe in...
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When children fall in love with reading, they explore worlds unknown, ask questions to uncover mysteries, or empathize with a character in new ways. Reading is exciting and FUN!
ARCHES Academy is approaching learning in a transformative and unique way. It’s no secret that children today are inundated with messages from all areas of life: social media, news, advertising, movies, and conversations with peers, as well as what they learn at school. No one is without an...
ARCHES Academy is proud to be the unique K-8 public school option in Apache Junction and we love to show our school pride daily with our school uniforms! At ARCHES Academy, students wear uniforms to help foster unity, a sense of belonging, and a purpose for learning--it makes our days easier...
Have the pandemic restrictions and online learning caused you to re-examine what you want for your child’s educational journey? For many parents, spending time at home working with their students to accomplish schoolwork has created new insights about their children and the way they...
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If you have a child near kindergarten age, you’ve probably asked yourself if your child is “ready for school”. Conversations with other parents may turn to talk of summer vs. fall birthdays or of keeping up with peers vs. being bored. Maybe you’ve even heard the term “red-shirting” used for...
Art speaks to all genres, backgrounds and people. Music is arguably the most influential artform. We use music to celebrate, mourn, dance, reflect, express emotion, and to resonate with emotions. Art and music pull emotions out.
Music is the only language that is universally understood....
This unprecedented school year was anything but normal. Because of individual circumstances, students have ended the 2020-2021 school year at very different places academically. Some students are ahead, some are behind, and some need more help in certain subjects than others. They vary greatly...
At ARCHES Academy we believe in understanding our students’ preferred learning styles so we can make individual learning plans that cater specifically to each child. After an assessment, we are able to create a personalized day-to-day class schedule based on each student’s needs. A commonality...
This article originally appeared in the Apache Junction Independent on May 14, 2021. Link to article
At ARCHES Academy, we say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. Every morning that is how we start our day. We do this because we believe in this pledge, we teach what the pledge means, and we do this daily to remind our kiddos why this pledge is so important.
This article originally published in the Apache Junction Independent on May 7, 2021. Link to article
At ARCHES Academy, our commitment is to help each K-8 student achieve mastery of the standards by use of authentic learning experiences, coaching and mentoring, freedom of choice, and personal responsibility. Our methods produce outstanding individuals who not only demonstrate exceptional...
At ARCHES Academy our small class sizes allow our committed and caring teachers to truly know and meet each K-8 student where they are in their educational journey. A big part of what makes our time together so positive is all the fun we have together. Festivals and events abound, as well as...
Michelle Edwards is the founder of ARCHES Academy. It’s her vision and hard work that brought our free K-8 public charter school into fruition. Read on to experience, in Michelle’s own words, how she came to see the need for a different type of school -- one that supports every type of...
The old way of grouping students together into grades just because they are the same age has resulted in far too many students struggling to keep up with their peers and giving up on themselves. Other students are bored because they have already mastered the material and are now trying to...
Giving students a choice in their learning elevates their academic experiences in several ways. At ARCHES Academy, we see high student engagement because we allow our students to have a say in what they’re learning, exploring and developing. We believe in the importance of choice as a means to...
ARCHES Academy is a new approach to K-8 public education. The ‘old way’ of grouping students together by age results in struggle. Some students can’t keep up. Other students are bored. Worst of all, students are giving up on themselves or are causing trouble to entertain themselves. What can...
Honor, courage, strength, and discipline are values to live by. ARCHES Academy teaches about the importance of these core values and builds positive character traits and confident and competent leaders using several exciting and dynamic methods.
The root of our program revolves around...
At ARCHES Academy, it doesn't matter where students begin with us academically. We heartily meet our kiddos where they are academically, socially, and emotionally -- and help get them where they are able to be. Our small, close-knit public school thrives due to our supportive, individualized...
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ARCHES cares about our families and we know that this COVID-19 crisis has been hard on all of us. Having to supervise your children’s learning at home has been a hardship for you and them. And many of you have had additional hardships due to needing to be present at work during this time in...
After careful consideration, ARCHES Academy has announced their plans for re-opening for the 2020- 2021 school year. School leadership took many things under advisement before making this decision. Foremost was the health and safety of students, staff, and their families. The needs of families...
We are pleased to announce a new entity on our campus. Olive Tree Preschool has joined us here to provide childcare services and before and after care for community families. Olive Tree is an established childcare provider that just moved from their previous location at Leading Edge Academy –...
On June 13th , 2020, ARCHES Academy students, staff, and guests got together to celebrate our nation’s flag over a round of pancakes and sausage. After enjoying some fresh-cooked breakfast, the Honor Guard from our local American Legion post helped to retire a massive American Flag which had...
In compliance with the Arizona Dept. of Education, we are having a short meeting to take a new vote on the same budget that was approved on June 26th at our Annual Board of Directors Meeting. The budget needs to be in a different format and on particular forms for uploading to the state...
Andrew and his volunteers were at the school early to beat the heat. They brought boxes and tubs of books that they had been collecting for the last several weeks to be donated to our library. Then, they got right to work. They took all the bookshelves outside, 3 or 4 at a time, and painted...
Through a Facebook connection, ARCHES was able to connect with an organization in Tempe that no longer needed this furniture. It was a tight timeline to get it picked up and out of their way, but thanks to the Hibbits family, we were able to get all of it for the school to use. There were...
